I already did explain that. I believe it because that’s how religious people act all the time; their religion tells them to do something, and they do it. You are the one making the implausible claim that suddenly when it comes to homosexuality they aren’t doing what their religion tells them to do because it tells them to do so, but apparently by pure coincidence are doing exactly what their religion demands for reasons that have nothing to do with religion.
I see nothing wrong with people expressing their beliefs in public, Jut not trying to
force other’s to their beliefs. Of course Christians seem to want that more than other religious people, but forget the Man they worship didn’t seem to care much for the Pharisees who made their public displays.
Now days most people I know who worry about gay people are divorced and remarried and the Christian Bible says that is adultery. The just say their other marriage (or marriages) were not valid for some reason or the other.
In fact, the current Pope seems to think that poverty is a bigger problem than homosexuality.
I’ll criticize beliefs I find offensive & hateful whether or not the bigots in question use religion as an excuse. Plenty of them have “logical, scientific” reasons for their wrongheadedness. (Not “logic” or “science” as understood by most sane people, of course.)
Very true, especially in the States. An American Catholic is quite a different creature than, say, an Italian Catholic. This is a country that was founded by Protestant religious dissenters who spread the “gospel of individualism”, and that spirit permeates the American Catholic Church in a way that completely vexes the Vatican.
You can see this just by going to church and watching all the 1 and 2-children families that walk through the door.
On the contrary, a Christian who OBEYED all of the laws in Leviticus and Deuteronomy would be hypocritical. The Jewish ceremonial Law was explicitly given to the Jews and no other nation, and the New Testament explicitly declares that, since the time of Christ, said Law has been superseded even for Jews.
The Christian is obliged to believe that the Jewish ceremonial Law was instituted by God as a foreshadowing of Christ, and that if he had been a Jew living 2,000 years ago he would have had to follow it, but it would be gravely sinful for him to attempt to follow it today.
There’s a big difference between opposing celebration of something and making it a crime. I think it’s perfectly consistent to say that both fornication and sodomy should be legal, and yet neither should receive a document of official government endorsement from the county clerk.
Ibn Warraq was the first to assert that Communist propaganda said negative things about homosexuals. Der Trihs agreed with him. Der Trihs would love it if Communists didn’t have any anti-homosexual propaganda, since that would completely sidestep Ibn Warraq’s gotcha.
I mean, assuming Ibn Warraq was going for You think Christians are homophobic due to Christian anti-gay ideology, why don’t you think some Athiests are homophobic due to Communist anti-gay ideology, you hypocrite? and not You think Christians are homophobic due to Christian anti-gay ideology, why are there non-Christian homophobes?
I don’t see why “communism” should oppose homosexuality, but the Soviet Union did, and I gather China does. Of course, we’ve had people on this board who were eager to explain away any flaws in Soviet or Chinese practices as not true communism; communism remaining a pure ideal that flawed humans have never managed to achieve but should keep striving for anyway.
Give us some search terms, then. A few specific phrases you used in a statement that prompted a “you should be arrested” or “you should be beaten” response.
I admit I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened - I’m just mildly curious.
My own opinion is that religious rules mostly follow homophobia, but still contribute to homophobia. The rules were written by homophobes, and are emphasized over unkempt hair, no shellfish, etc due to pre-existing non-religious homophobia. However, there are probably church-goers without pre-existing non-religious homophobia, but are told that Homosexuality is a sin, and react negatively to gay people for that reason. Furthermore, homophobia written into religious works provide cover for homophobes. How many people are complaining about A&E punishing Phil for expressing his “religious beliefs?” It adds undeserved legitimacy to homophobia.
That’s why I pointed out that most communist nations had extremely harsh anti-gay laws and then asked him if he thought this was due to the a Communist ideology or if this was an example of others manipulating communist ideology to declare homosexuality “bourgeoise decadence” rather being inspired by communist ideology to be homophobes.
I genuinely expected him to say the latter and have asked him why he believes that but he’s repeatedly refused to explain his reasoning.
Fair enough, I put some atheists to mean the set of atheists who were communists, since I don’t think der trihs identifies with communism much, and the hypocracy charge seems a lot stronger if it is a group he identifies with.
